jobfacts

Quarry worker

Mining and quarry workers and related operatives — SOC 2020 8132

Quarry workers erect supports in underground workings, set and detonate explosives to loosen rocks and set up and operate drilling equipment to extract coal and other minerals from the ground, and operate machinery to wash, crush or separate stone and ores.

Also calledQuarry operativeOpencast mine workerOpencast minerDrawerLoaderCleanerand 440 more titles
Typical full-time pay£38,3002025 Provisional
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month1,700↓ 9.9%on last year · 110th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time quarry workers earn, 2025
£38,300 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£38,300
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £38,300
East of England!£35,000
North West!£34,100
Scotland!£33,700
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £38,300
East of England£35,000 (small sample)
North West£34,100 (small sample)
Scotland£33,700 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 2 years
  • 2023 £34,600
  • 2025 Provisional£38,300
↑ 11% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,700 jobs for quarry workers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,690
Jul 20261,903
Jun 20261,588
May 20261,695
Apr 20261,713
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,512
Jan 20261,701
Dec 2025814
Nov 20251,839
Oct 20251,944
Sept 20252,084
Aug 20252,046
Jul 20252,175
Jun 20252,095
May 20252,093
Apr 20251,815
Mar 20252,084
Feb 20251,984
Jan 20251,771
Dec 2024976
Nov 20241,591
Oct 20241,964
Sept 20241,996
Aug 20242,184
Jul 20242,600
Jun 20242,166
May 20242,487
Apr 20242,170
Mar 20241,907
Feb 20241,653
Jan 20242,305
Dec 20231,306
Nov 20231,488
Oct 20231,411
Sept 20231,340
Aug 20231,723
Jul 20232,020
Jun 20232,509
May 20232,238
Apr 20231,985
Mar 20232,258
Feb 20232,428
Jan 20232,843
Dec 20222,127
Nov 20222,766
Oct 20223,137
Sept 20222,706
Aug 20222,786
Jul 20222,745
Jun 20222,724
May 20223,016
Apr 20222,335
Mar 20222,670
Feb 20222,331
Jan 20222,527
Dec 20212,026
Nov 20212,065
Oct 20212,270
Sept 20212,209
Aug 20212,215
Jul 20212,414
Jun 20212,326
May 20212,073
Apr 20211,836
Mar 20212,230
Feb 20211,411
Jan 20211,424
Dec 20201,264
Nov 20201,325
Oct 20201,632
Sept 20201,536
Aug 20201,684
Jul 20201,383
Jun 20201,138
May 20201,086
Apr 20201,207
Mar 20201,918
Feb 20202,222
Jan 20202,316
Dec 20191,362
Nov 20191,935
Oct 20191,975
Sept 20191,767
Aug 20191,903
Jul 20192,216
Jun 20192,187
May 20192,538
Apr 20191,643
Mar 20191,860
Feb 20191,784
Jan 20192,019
Dec 20181,593
Nov 20182,068
Oct 20181,982
Sept 20182,021
Aug 20181,646
Jul 20181,762
Jun 20181,904
May 20181,611
Apr 20181,594
Mar 20181,792
Feb 20181,887
Jan 20182,429
Dec 20171,340
Nov 20172,081
Oct 20172,150
Sept 20171,995
Aug 20172,081
Jul 20171,946
Jun 20172,526
May 20172,484
Apr 20172,279
Mar 20172,421
Feb 20171,882
Jan 20172,314
Is there a shortage of quarry workers?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: change in hourly wage, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
43%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for plant and machine operatives, which includes quarry workers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London580
Birmingham83
Manchester69
Leeds68
Glasgow City66
Somerset66
North Yorkshire64
Bristol, City of63
City of Edinburgh52
Nottingham41
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where quarry workers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of quarry workers
n/p
n/p
39%!
n/p
40%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–4439% (small sample)
45–54Not published
55–6440% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
A levels or equivalent!56%
GCSEs or equivalent!47%
Other qualifications!35%
No qualifications!22%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
A levels or equivalent56% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent47% (small sample)
Other qualifications35% (small sample)
No qualifications22% (small sample)

Main employers: operation of gravel and sand pits; mining of clays and kaolin (49%), quarrying of ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum, chalk and slate (22%), support activities for petroleum and natural gas extraction (13%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
0%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 56%
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through a Mineral Processing Plant Operator Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship. This includes working with mobile and fixed quarrying machines and equipment.

This can take up to 2 years and is a mix of training on the job and off-site learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Apply directly

You can apply directly for jobs if you've got experience or qualifications in construction, mining, or operating heavy machinery like mechanical diggers and dumper trucks.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You may need your own transport to get to work, as quarries are usually in the countryside.

Further information

You can learn more about careers in the quarrying industry from Minerals Matter and The Institute of Quarrying.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for quarry worker. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • inspects blasting area, drills shot holes, inserts explosives and detonates charges to loosen large pieces of rock, coal or ore
  • assembles drilling and cutting tools, operates controls to start machines and to regulate the speed and pressure of cutting and drilling
  • erects timber or metal supports to shore up tunnel and assists tunnel miner with the excavation of vertical shafts and underground tunnels
  • operates heading, ripping and cutting-loading machines to remove material from working face and monitors conveyor carrying away loose material
  • conveys goods and materials to and from the workface, loads and unloads mine cars and transfers materials from underground and surface conveyors to bunkers, tubs and rail trucks
  • operates agitators/vibrators to separate minerals and ensures that screened, filtered, crushed and separated material is discharged to appropriate chutes or conveyors
  • performs other mining and quarrying tasks not elsewhere classified including digging clay from open pits, operating high-pressure hoses to wash china clay from open pit faces and otherwise assisting miners

Skills

  • troubleshoot
  • work ergonomically
  • address problems critically
  • operate drilling equipment
  • operate hydraulic pumps
  • operate mining tools
  • perform minor repairs to equipment
  • react to events in time-critical environments
  • conduct inter-shift communication
  • operate a range of underground mining equipment
  • operate drilling jumbo
  • check borehole depth
  • collect samples
  • communicate mine equipment information

Knowledge

  • impact of geological factors on mining operations
  • mechanics
  • electricity
  • health and safety hazards underground
  • geology
  • chemistry
  • excavation techniques
  • biology

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for process, plant, machine and construction operatives, a group of 25 jobs that includes quarry workers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 142,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035496,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.